U.S. patent number 3,797,828 [Application Number 05/316,654] was granted by the patent office on 1974-03-19 for launcher and targets having overload mechanism.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Marvin Glass & Associates. Invention is credited to Marvin I. Glass, Paul J. Ishikawa.
United States Patent |
3,797,828 |
Ishikawa , et al. |
March 19, 1974 |
LAUNCHER AND TARGETS HAVING OVERLOAD MECHANISM
Abstract
A game apparatus of the type in which an object, such as a disc,
is projected into one of a plurality of different areas or spaces.
The game apparatus includes a plurality of discs, a housing, a
scoring area in the housing in the form of a plurality of vertical
slotted compartments open at the top and bottom. A launching
station is spaced from the scoring area and a launcher is provided
at the launching station to project the disc toward the scoring
area. Each compartment has means associated therewith for holding
one disc therein at a time and for automatically releasing the disc
whenever a second disc is received in that compartment. By
providing indicia on the discs, a game such as a slot machine may
be simulated, with the launcher having a manipulatable lever on the
outside of the housing.
Inventors: |
Ishikawa; Paul J. (Chicago,
IL), Glass; Marvin I. (Chicago, IL) |
Assignee: |
Marvin Glass & Associates
(Chicago, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
23230031 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/316,654 |
Filed: |
December 20, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/126R;
273/121B; 273/124R; 273/121R; 273/138.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F
7/025 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63F
7/02 (20060101); A63b 007/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/101,138R,12.1G,12.1R ;46/3,4,42
;273/103,119R,123R,179R,182R,121R,121A,119A,126R,126A,15R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Oechsle; Anton O.
Assistant Examiner: Siskind; Marvin
Claims
We claim:
1. A game apparatus comprising:
a plurality of projectiles; J
means defining a scoring area including a plurality of goals, each
goal having means capable of receiving a given number of
projectiles and each goal having overload means for automatically
releasing a previous one of said given number of received
projectiles from said goal whenever the number of projectiles
received therein is greater than said given number;
a launching station spaced from said scoring area for supporting a
projectile thereat; and
a launcher for launching projectiles from the launching station
toward the goals at said scoring area.
2. The game apparatus of claim 1 wherein each projectile has
different indicia associated therewith whereby the object is to
launch a given combination of projectiles having given indicia into
the goals.
3. The game apparatus of claim 1 including a prize receptacle
adjacent said scoring area for receiving those projectiles released
by said overload means.
4. A game apparatus comprising:
a substantially vertical housing;
a plurality of projectiles which can be selectively introduced into
the housing;
means formed in said housing defining a scoring area including a
plurality of compartments capable of receiving a given number of
projectiles therein, each compartment having overload means for
automatically releasing the first received of projectiles in a
compartment from said compartment whenever the number of
projectiles received therein is greater than said given number;
a launching station formed in said housing spaced from said scoring
area for supporting a projectile thereat; and
a launcher for launching a projectile from the launching station
toward the goals at said scoring area whereby the given number of
projectiles may be received in said compartments.
5. The game apparatus of claim 4 wherein said housing has two
vertical walls and a horizontal ground engaging base joining said
walls at the bottom thereof, one of the walls being transparent for
observation into the housing and having an opening for the
introduction of a disc therein adjacent the launching station.
6. The game apparatus of claim 5 including a support sheet mounted
within the housing wherein said compartments are formed between
said support sheet and transparent wall, the compartments being
open at the top and bottom thereof, and said overload means
including means to hold one projectile in said compartment at one
time.
7. The game apparatus of claim 6 including guide means formed on
the support sheet between the launching station and scoring area
for guiding a launched projectile to the scoring area.
8. The game apparatus of claim 6 wherein each overload means
includes two members, one member rockably mounted on one side of a
compartment and the other rockably mounted on the other side of the
compartment, said members assuming a normal holding position
wherein a projectile will be held within a compartment so that it
will not drop downwardly out of said compartment, said members
assuming a releasing position whenever a second projectile is
introduced into the compartment thereby causing said members to
rock allowing the bottom projectile to fall downward while
capturing and holding the second projectile where the previous
projectile had been held.
9. The game apparatus of claim 4 wherein said projectiles are discs
having different indicia printed thereon.
10. The game apparatus of claim 4 wherein said launcher is capable
of propelling a projectile one at a time toward said scoring area
and including spring means operatively connected to said launching
station and crank means operatively connected to said spring means
for biasing said spring means.
11. The game apparatus of claim 4 including a prize receptacle
formed in said housing below the scoring area for receiving
projectiles released by said overload means, and means formed in
the transparent wall of the housing for opening the receptacle
allowing removal of said projectiles received therein.
12. A game apparatus comprising:
a plurality of discs having different indicia printed thereon;
a substantially vertical housing having two vertical walls and a
horizontal ground engaging base joining said walls at the bottom
thereof, one of said walls being transparent for observation into
said housing and having an opening for introduction of a disc
therein;
a support sheet mounted within said housing;
means formed between said support sheet and said transparent wall
defining a scoring area including a plurality of vertical slotted
compartments open at the top and bottom, each compartment being
capable of receiving a plurality of discs therein and having
overload means for holding one disc in the compartment and for
automatically releasing said disc downwardly whenever a second disc
is received in said compartment;
a launching station spaced from said scoring area formed in said
housing for supporting a disc thereat adjacent said housing
opening; and
a launcher adjacent said launching station for propelling one disc
at a time toward said scoring area, said launcher including spring
means operatively connected to said launching station and crank
means operatively connected to said spring means for biasing said
spring means whereby a disc is launched into one of said
compartments.
13. The game apparatus of claim 12 wherein said launcher includes a
sliding elongated vertical member captured in a slot formed in the
transparent side of the housing immediately below said launching
station, said sliding member being supported by gravity over said
spring means.
14. The game apparatus of claim 13 wherein said crank means is an
L-shaped member having a handle grasping leg outside the housing
and a horizontally disposed leg rotatably mounted about its
longitudinal axis inside the housing, said inside leg having cam
means formed thereon for contact with said slidable member, said
inside leg being rotatable from an initia first position wherein
said cam means rests against said sliding member so that the spring
means is not biased, to an intermediate second position wherein
said cam means presses against said sliding member biasing said
spring means, to a third position wherein the cam means slips out
of contact with said sliding member releasing the biased spring
means causing the launching of the disc from the launching
station.
15. The game apparatus of claim 14 wherein said launcher includes
reload means for rotating said inside member from said third
position to said first position.
16. The game apparatus of claim 12 including a prize receptacle
formed in said housing below the scoring area for receiving discs
released by said overload means, and means for opening the
receptacle allowing dispensation of said discs received
therein.
17. The game apparatus of claim 12 including guide means formed on
the support sheet between the launching station and scoring area
for guiding a launched disc to the scoring area.
18. The game apparatus of claim 12 wherein each overload means
includes two members, one member rockably mounted on one side of a
compartment and the other rockably mounted on the other side of the
compartment, said members assuming a normal holding position
wherein a disc will be held within a compartment so that it will
not drop downwardly out of said compartment, said members assuming
a releasing position whenever a second disc is introduced into the
compartment thereby causing said members to rock allowing the
bottom disc to fall downward while capturing and holding the second
disc where the previous disc had been held.
19. A simulated slot machine game apparatus comprising:
a plurality of discs having different indicia printed thereon;
a substantially vertical housing having a front wall, a back wall,
two sidewalls and a horizontal ground engaging base joining said
walls at the bottom thereof, at least a portion of said front wall
being transparent for observation into said housing and having an
opening for the introduction of a disc therein;
means within said housing simulating a slot machine including three
vertical slotted compartments open at the top and bottom wherein a
disc may freely drop therethrough;
overload means associated with each compartment for holding one
disc in the compartment and for automatically releasing said disc
allowing the first disc to drop whenever a second disc is received
in said compartment;
a launching station spaced from said compartments formed in said
housing for supporting a disc thereat adjacent to said housing
opening;
a launcher including a handle rotatably mounted on the sidewall of
the housing for propelling one disc at a time toward said
compartments and
prize means including a receptacle formed in the housing below the
scoring area for receiving discs released by said overload means,
means for opening the receptable allowing dispensation of said
discs received therein and means for actuating the overload means
to release the discs that are held in the three compartments
whenever the receptacle is opened.
20. The game apparatus of claim 19 wherein said overload means
includes a holding member rockably mounted on one side of a
compartment and a releasing member rockably mounted on the other
side of the compartment, said holding member being capable of
holding a disc within a compartment so it will not drop out of said
compartment, said releasing member being rotatably movable to act
on said holding member in response to the introduction of a second
disc into said compartment whereby the first disc is allowed to
fall downward while capturing and holding the second disc where the
previous disc had been held.
21. The game apparatus of claim 19 wherein said launcher includes a
sliding elongated vertical member captured in a slot formed in the
front wall of the housing immediately below said launching station,
spring means operatively associated with said vertical member and
crank means connected to said handle operatively associated with
said vertical member for biasing said spring means whereby a disc
at the launching station is launched by the vertical member into
one of said compartments.
22. The game apparatus of claim 21 wherein said crank means
includes a horizontally disposed shaft joined at one end to the
handle rotatably mounted about its longitudinal axis inside the
housing, said shaft having cam means formed thereon for contact
with said slidable member, said shaft being rotatable from an
initial first position wherein said cam means rests against said
sliding member so that the spring means is not biased, to an
intermediate second position wherein said cam means presses against
said sliding member biasing said spring means, to a third position
wherein the cam means slips out of contact with said sliding member
releasing the biased spring means causing the launching of the disc
from the launching station, said crank means including reload means
for rotating said shaft from said third position to said first
position.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a game apparatus of the type in which a
disc is inserted in a machine and then projected by means of a
suitable projecting device to cause the disc to enter one of a
plurality of predetermined areas or spaces, the results of such
projections being controlled or determined by the skill of the
operator.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Amusement devices wherein an object, such as a disc, is inserted in
the device and then projected toward predetermined areas or spaces
are well known in the art. An example of such a device is disclosed
in U.S. Pat. No. 1,801,308.
Games of the type referred to usually accumulate discs in the
predetermined areas or spaces after they have been launched
therein. There has been no game of this type wherein the area or
space holds a given number of discs at a time and wherein at least
one disc is released from the area or space when the given number
is exceeded. Accordingly, one could not simulate a slot machine
with the devices of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The principal object of this invention is to provide a game
apparatus or amusement device of the type in which a projectile or
object is projected toward one or more predetermined areas or
spaces wherein each area or space holds but a given number of
projectiles at a time and does not accumulate them. A further
object of this invention is to provide each area or space with
means to hold a projectile therein and then release said projectile
when another enters the area or space.
These and other objects of the invention are accomplished in an
exemplary form of the invention by providing a plurality of
launchable projectiles, means defining a scoring area including a
plurality of spaces to receive said projectiles, a projectile
launching station spaced from the scoring area, and a launcher
adjacent the launching station for launching a projectile therefrom
toward the scoring area. Each area or space has means capable of
receiving a given number of projectiles therein and each area or
space has overload means for automatically releasing the first
received of said given number of projectiles from said area or
space whenever the number of projectiles received therein is
greater than said given number.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention the projectiles are in
the form of discs which have different indicia imprinted thereon.
The scoring area, launching station and launcher are assembled
within a substantially vertical housing which has vertical walls
and a horizontal ground engaging base joining the walls at the
bottom thereof. The front wall of the housing is transparent for
visual observation into the housing. The transparent wall also has
an opening for the introduction of discs therein. Within the
housing is mounted a vertically canted support sheet. The scoring
area is formed between the support sheet and the transparent wall
and the individual areas or spaces are formed by vertical slotted
compartments which are open at the top and bottom. Each compartment
is capable of receiving a plurality of discs therein wherein the
overload means holds only one disc in the compartment but
automatically releases that disc downwardly whenever a second disc
is received in that particular compartment.
The launcher includes a spring means which is operatively connected
to the launching station and crank means which is operatively
connected to the spring means. The crank means cocks and releases
the spring means whereby a disc is launched into one of the
compartments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the game apparatus of this
invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the game apparatus shown
in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the game apparatus taken generally
along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the game apparatus taken generally
along the line 4--4 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the game
apparatus taken generally along the line 5--5 of FIG. 4; and
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the overload means shown in phantom
in FIG. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring first to FIG. 1, the game apparatus of the present
invention, generally designated 10, is seen to generally comprise a
plurality of discs 12, and a housing, generally designated 14. The
housing has associated therein a scoring area, generally designated
16, a launching station, generally designated 18, from which a disc
12 may be launched, and a launcher, generally designated 20, for
launching a disc 12 toward the scoring area 16.
The housing 14 is substantially vertical and has a generally
vertical back wall 22, a canted front wall 24 joining the back wall
22 at the top thereof, a generally flat ground engaging base 26
joining the bottoms of the front and back walls, and two
triangularly shaped side walls 28a and 28b. The front wall 24 of
the housing is transparent and preferably is fabricated of clear
plastic to allow a player to observe what is happening inside of
the housing 14. A circular opening 30 is provided in the
transparent front wall 24 of the housing 14 above the launching
station 18 for the introduction of discs 12 into the housing for
placing a disc at the launching station 18.
Mounted within the housing 14 is a support sheet, generally
designated 32. The support sheet has a portion 34 substantially
parallel to the front wall 24, a portion 36 extending rearwardly
from the lower edge of the portion 34 at right angles thereto, and
a portion 38 extending downwardly from portion 36. Side wall
portions 39 protrude forwardly of portion 38 beneath portion
36.
Formed between portion 34 of the support sheet 32 and the front
wall 24 of the housing are four vertical, parallel spaced ribs 40,
42, 44 and 46. These four ribs form three vertical slotted
compartments 48a, 48b and 48c. All of the compartments are of the
same size. Each compartment is open at both its top and bottom and
has a width greater than the diameter of the disc 12 allowing for a
disc to freely drop through each compartment. The compartments 48a,
48b and 48c comprise the scoring area 16 toward which the discs 12
are to be projected.
Adjacent the scoring area 16, and formed on the support sheet 32
between the portion 34 thereof and the housing front wall 24 is the
launching station 18 formed from a generally vertical U-shaped rib
50. The U-shaped rib 50 is positioned with respect to the opening
30 so that a disc inserted therethrough falls to the bottom of the
U-shaped rib and rests on the bight portion 52 thereof prior to
launching.
Joining one leg of the U-shaped rib 50 and the upper end of rib 40
is a guide rib 54 formed on support sheet portion 34 extending
between the support sheet and the front wall 24. The purpose of rib
54 is to provide guide means for a disc 12 launched from the
launching station 18 insuring that the disc 12 so launched will
fall into one of the three compartments 48a, 48b or 48c.
The launcher 20 is situated immediately below the launching station
18 and generally comprises spring means in the form of a leaf
spring 64, a vertically slidable launching member 66 mounted for
sliding movement in a slot 68 formed in the support sheet 32 and
crank means, generally designated 70. The launcher 20 is designed
to propel a disc 12 from the launching station 18 upwardly
therefrom along rib 54 to the scoring area 16.
Referring to FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, in greater detail, the leaf spring
64 is secured at its lower end to the lower right side of an
extension of rib 46 by suitable means 72. The other end of the
spring 64 is free to move in the space between the support sheet 32
and the front wall 24. A stop pin 74 is formed on the support sheet
32 and extends outwardly to stop the movement of spring 64 beyond
that point. Accordingly, the spring 64 is always on the downward
side of stop pin 74 so that it is partially biased at all
times.
The launching member 66 is an integral member of molded plastic or
other suitable material having formed on the front side thereof an
upper launching protrusion 76 and a lower stop protrusion 78 both
captured for sliding movement within the slot 68. In the normal
position of the launcher wherein the spring 64 is partially biased
and contacts stop pin 74, the launching protrusion 76 rests by
gravity in the top portion of the spring.
The back side of the launching member 66 has formed thereon a
contact protrusion 80 which contacts the crank means 70 in a manner
which will be discussed in greater detail hereinafter. The spring
64 is biased by pressure applied to the contact protrusion 80 in a
downward direction.
The crank means 70 is an L-shaped member having a handle grasping
leg 82 outside the housing 14 and a horizontally disposed leg 84
rotatably mounted inside the housing about its longitudinal axis on
a pair of ears 86 and 88 which extend inwardly from the inner
surface of the front wall 24 of the housing 14. The horizontal leg
84 has formed thereon cam means 90 which contacts the contact
protrusion 80 of the slidable member 66.
The horizontal leg 84 as shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, is in an
initial position wherein the cam means 90 merely rests against the
contact protrusion 80 so that the spring 64 is not biased and is in
contact with stop pin 74. In this position, the handle 82 is
substantially vertical.
When the handle 82 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction (not
shown), the force exerted by the cam means 90 against the contact
protrusion 80 forces the launching member 66 downwardly thereby
biasing the spring 64 to a cocked position. The further the handle
82 is rotated the more spring 64 is biased until the cam means 90
loses contact with the contact protrusion 80 whereupon the cocked
spring 64 is released causing member 66 to rapidly move upward.
Accordingly, a disc 12 supported at the launching station 18 is
propelled due to the force provided by the launching protrusion 76
of the member 66 as it moves upwardly by rotating the handle 82 as
described above.
The amount of force applied to a disc 12 at the launching station
18 can be varied depending upon the force or speed in which the
handle 82 is rotated in the manner above described. The faster the
handle is rotated, the more momentum is imparted to member 66 and
the more the spring 64 is biased, and, therefore, the more energy
is supplied to a disc 12 at the launching station 18 thereby
causing a harder "shot". Conversely, the slower the handle 82 is
rotated, the softer the "shot" of the disc. In this manner, one can
attempt to direct a disc at the launching station toward a
particular compartment by the use of skill.
A return means in the form of a rubber band 92 is provided on the
horizontal leg 84 so that after a "shot" is completed the handle or
crank means will be returned to its original position.
An overload means, generally designated 93 (See FIGS. 2 and 6) is
provided in association with each of the compartments 48a, 48b and
48c to hold a launched disc 12 therein. The overload means 93 also
serves the purpose of releasing a previously held disc from a
compartment whenever a second disc is introduced into that
compartment. In short, the overload means assures that there is no
more than one disc held in one compartment at one time.
The overload means 93 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 6 and
includes two members 94 and 96 which are mounted behind the portion
34 of the support sheet 32. Member 94 is a disc holding member.
Member 96 acts upon member 94 and is a disc releasing member. There
are two members 94 and 96 for each compartment 48a, 48b and 48c. A
member 94 is mounted on the lefthand side of each compartment and a
member 96 is mounted on the righthand side of each compartment.
The righthand side of each compartment has an upper opening 98 and
a lower opening 100 which receive an upper pin 102 and a lower pin
104 formed on overload member 96. An opening 106 is provided in the
support sheet 32 at the lower lefthand side of each compartment to
receive pin 108 which is formed on the overload member 94. Each of
the openings 98, 100 and 106 are of a greater diameter than the
diameter of pins 102, 104 and 108, respectively. This allows for
free movement of each pin within its respective opening.
Also formed on members 94 and 96 are pivot pins 112 and 114
respectively about which the members 94 and 96 rotate against the
support sheet 32. The pins 112 and 114 are received in depressions
(not shown) formed on the back surface of portion 34 of the support
sheet 32. Each member 94 and 96 is rotatable about its respective
pivot pin 112 and 114, respectively, until pins 102, 104 and 108
contact openings 98, 100 and 106, respectively.
Turning now to FIG. 2, and particularly the righthand compartment
48c, the members 94 and 96 are shown in phantom in their normal
position. Both members 94 and 96 are supported by their respective
pins 102, 104, 108, 112 and 114.
When a disc 12 is received in a compartment, as shown in the center
compartment 48b (FIG. 2), the disc 12 is held in the compartment
and not allowed to drop downwardly therethrough, because of the
lateral force exerted on the disc by the pin 108. When a second
disc is dropped into a compartment which is already holding a disc,
as shown in the lefthand compartment 48a (FIG. 2), it exerts a
lateral force against upper pin 102 which in turn causes overload
member 96 to rotate clockwise about pin 114. When overload member
96 rotates clockwise, a bottom extremity 116 thereof contacts an
upper extremity 118 of overload member 94 causing overload member
94 to rotate counterclockwise about pin 112. When overload member
94 rotates counterclockwise pin 108 which was holding the disc
against rib 42 is moved slightly to the left thereby eliminating
the force that was holding the disc in the compartment.
Accordingly, the disc is allowed to drop downwardly out of the
compartment. Thus, when a compartment has a disc held in the manner
above described and a second disc is introduced into that
compartment the first disc will be released.
By the time the first disc is released, overload members 94 and 96
rotate back to their original position by gravity, thereby
capturing the second disc before it falls out of the compartment in
the manner described above. Therefore, only one disc can be held in
each compartment at one time. Any "over-load" disc entering a
compartment will replace the previous one.
Formed in the housing 14 below the scoring area 16 is a space,
generally designated 120 (FIG. 3). Immediately below space 120 is a
trough 122. The space 120 is bounded at the top thereof by portion
36 of the support sheet 32 and at the rear thereof by portion 38 of
the support sheet. Received in space 120 is a receptacle 124. The
receptacle receives discs 12 which have been released from the
scoring area 16.
The receptacle generally includes a rectangular wall 126 having two
triangular side walls 128 and 130. Each of the side walls have a
pin 132 formed thereon which is pivoted to one of the walls 39 of
support sheet 32. The top part of the receptacle wall 126 is
secured to a leaf spring 134. The leaf spring 134 is attached to
portion 38 of the support sheet 32 through a slot 136 formed in
portion 34 by suitable fastening means 138. When the receptacle is
mounted within the space 120 the spring 134 biases the receptacle
against the front wall 24 of the housing which provides a closure
for the receptacle.
Side wall 128 of the receptacle has a lever 142 which extends
through a slot 144 formed in the front wall 24 of the housing. When
the lever 142 is pressed downwardly, the receptacle 124 pivots
about pins 132 until rectangular wall 126 contacts the trough 122.
When the receptacle 124 is pivoted in this manner, any discs which
may be received therein fall out of the receptacle and down the
trough to the ground in front of the housing. By releasing the
lever 142 the receptacle 124 springs back to a closed position so
that it may receive discs therein.
The lever 142 may be pressed downwardly only when a successful
combination of discs have been received in the scoring area. The
discs which have been accumulated in the receptacle would represent
the "jack pot" or prize.
Part of the jack pot may include the discs held in the scoring area
16 at the time that the jack pot has been won. Accordingly, it is
desirable to actuate the overload means 93 to release those discs
in the scoring area 16 so that they will form part of the jack pot.
To this end, a bar-like release member, generally designated 146,
is operatively associated with the lever 142 and with the overload
means 93.
Release member 146 generally includes a vertical portion 148 having
an opening 150 formed in the bottom thereof to receive the lever
142 therethrough and a horizontal portion 152 overlying each of the
overload members 94 and 96 inside the housing and behind the
support sheet 32. The vertical portion 148 is connected with the
horizontal portion 152 through another opening 154 formed in the
housing 14. When the lever 142 is pressed downwardly as above
described, in addition to opening the receptacle 124 to the trough
122, it also causes the release member 146 to move downwardly
causing the horizontal portion 152 to simultaneously press
downwardly on overload members 96. By pressing down on overload
members 96, one can move the overload members 94 to release any
discs 12 held in the compartments. In short, by pressing down the
lever, the overload members 94 and 96 pivot and rotate in response
to the downward pressure of the horizontal portion 152 of the
release member 146 in the same manner described above when a disc
enters a compartment.
The amusement device which has been described can be used to play
or simulate a number of different games. One such game is to
simulate the playing of a slot machine. This can be accomplished by
providing each of the discs 12 with appropriate indicia such as
cherries, bells, oranges, etc. With this setup, 48 discs are
provided having three different indicia imprinted thereon, that is
16 discs have cherries, 16 discs have bells and 16 discs have
oranges.
A score chart or the like is provided to designate certain values
accorded to any combination of discs received within three
compartments 48a, 48b and 48c. For example, a winning combination
may be either three cherries, three bells or three oranges. If a
player is able to get a winning combination he is entitled to open
the receptacle 124 and collect the prize in the form of previous
discs which have fallen through the compartments.
In order to play a simulated slot machine game as described above,
a player chooses three discs out of the 48 discs provided. For
example, a player may choose three bell discs. The player then
places one disc into the housing 14 through an opening 26 so that
that disc will rest in the launching station 18. The player then
activates the launcher 20 by rotating the handle 82. In this
manner, the selected disc will be launched into one of the three
compartments 48a, 48 b or 48c. The player then attempts to get his
remaining two discs into the other two compartments employing his
skill regarding the force applied to the launcher 20.
If the player is able to successfully launch three discs having the
same indicia into each of the compartments, he wins. However, if
the player launches one of his discs into a compartment already
occupied by a disc, the first disc in that compartment will be
released by the overload means 93 downwardly into the receptacle
124. Therefore, it is possible that a player at the end of his
"turn" may have one of three situations:
1. He may have successfully launched three discs and won the prize;
or
2. He may end up with two discs in two compartments and one disc in
the receptacle; or
3. He may end up with one disc in a compartment and two discs in
the receptacle.
Assuming that the first player ended up with either of the second
or third possible situations described above, the second player
selects his three discs in an attempt to launch those discs so that
a winning combination may result. In other words, the second player
has to adjust his strategy in accordance to what the first player
has presented him regarding the discs in the different
compartments. The game is played in this manner alternating players
or having more than two players until a winning combination results
and the prize is awarded.
The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of
understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be
understood therefrom as some modifications will be obvious to those
skilled in the art.
* * * * *